Hi i have an External filter, its a sacem marathon 1000.

It comes with 4 baskets.

Now i need a hand setting the media up...whats best to go where and why etc.

If you will please take the time to let me know id really appreciate that!

So far i have a basket with ceramic beads and a basket with White gravel looking stuff. Is this gravel stuff any good and what is it most likely to be? Ammo chps?

anyone have any media ideas?




Also whats the best way to clean a used tank? It has some scum marks on it and dried water type thing. Apart from that its mint condition!

What detergents can i use to clean it?

First, if you think that the white chips are ammo chips or zeolite, I would remove them. You do not want them in your filter. Ammo chips can totally mess up a tank's cycle. With them in the filter, you may NEVER get the tank to cycle - and certainly never get it to cycle properly. Ammo chips are only useful in a very narrow, specific case - usually in an emergency, uncycled tank.....

Fill those media baskets with any media you prefer - ceramic cylindars, sintered glass, lava rock, sponge pieces, bioballs, etc.... they all are great.

As far as cleaning your tank - do NOT use detergent. Soap and fish do not mix and it is very hard to make sure all the soap is removed after cleaning. Most likely what you are seeing is hard water deposits - mineral deposits from the water. To remove these, you can soak them with white vinegar - pour some on a paper towel and place it over the gunk. Let is sit and dissolve a bit and wipe it away. You may have to repeat this several times if there is a lot. Another wonderful member suggested using muriatic acid to clean heavy mineral deposits off of glass more easily.

Try filling the entire tank with water, letting it sit for a few hours to soften the "scum" and then wiping it away. Dried algae will soften when soaked.

After the tank is wiped and soaked clean, you should fill it with water and sterilize it. Many nasty bacterias and a few other things can survive drying and hide in the cracks of the tank, waiting to opportunistically attack your fish..... here is a good link to sterilizing tanks....

http://www.kokosgoldfish.invisionzone.com/...showtopic=41101

I totally agree with Daryl - you don't need ammo chips or similar (except emergencies) they can be more touble than they're worth.

If the filter is properly setup, allowed to cycle and properly maintained and the tank is sensibly stocked - it should biologically filter adequately that you don't need chemical chips and resins. Lot's and lot's of ceramic tubes and sponges etc. for beneficial bacteria to grow on is fab

thanks for the tips! I messed up a bit though! I use a tiny bit of fairy liquid to clean the hard deposits! Now what do i do!? Have i messed it up!? Can i just rinse the tank with fresh water very very very thoroughly lots of times?

Im worried now!

What is "fairy liquid"? Is this a soap product?

If so, rinsing multiple times is your best bet.

"Fairy Liquid" is the one of the UK's most famous/popular washing-up liquids for dishes!

I can hear the jingle in my head know, but I won't sing it!

Yeah, I agree - rinse it like mad

Thanks for the advice i rinsed out my tank about 7 times tonight and dried it off with a clean cloth. It is like new now!

Once i let my tank stand for a week with some media from my current tank in the external filter (to help build bacteria) i am going to put my fishies in.

How will i know when my new tank has cycled?

When will it be ok to put the next fish into the new tank?

You need to be guided by your test results - ammonia, nitrIte and nitrAte, but particularly the first two and also remember to re-check the Ph although it should similiar to your current setup

Setting up your tank and letting it run for a week is a good idea. But, don't add the biological media from your current tank until you're ready to add your fish to the new tank. The biological bacteria on the media in your current tank will die if you put it in the new tank and they don't have a constant source of ammonia.